I’ve never been a fan of smartwatches. Well, scratch that. I was a fan of those ridiculous TV remote control watches available a couple decades ago. You know, the ones that become popular among devious teenagers that wanted to turn off all the televisions in the mall. That was the Rick Roll of the 90’s, pressing rewind and fast forward during that one life-scarring scene of the birthing video in Sex Ed in order to freak out all your classmates over and over again.

Fast forward to 2014 and the reemerging smartwatch doesn’t have much appeal to me. I was always intrigued by the original Pebble, but thought it looked like a child’s toy.  As an aspiring adult, I like to think that I’ve outgrown a watch that looks like a prize at the bottom of a cereal box. I’m also not a fan of Samsung’s take on the smartwatch and Apple seems content to sit idly by while other companies define the product.

However, I am impressed with the recently announced Pebble Steel. The classic stainless steel design is gorgeous as well as the version with the black leather strap. It’s a man’s watch, no question.

I also like that Pebble went with Corning Gorilla Glass for the front as well as metal buttons on the sides of the actual watch. I could care less that it’s also waterproof, but if I have a hankerin’ to take it into the shower, I suppose I can.

Even the price point doesn’t seem ridiculous at $249, mostly because Samsung’s poorly reviewed Galaxy Gear still has a $299 MRSP. The Pebble Steel also has a sleeker look than the Galaxy Gear, mostly because I prefer the class band styles to the odd, futuristic rubber look to the Galaxy Gear band.

If you want to read more about the Pebble Steel, you can check out the site here. Below you will find some product shots of the Steel.

Old Pebble versus New Pebble Steel

Shut Up and Take My Money: Pebble Steel Smartwatch